Saturday 14 February 2009

Lights.Action - Welcome to the New Cold World

Kicking of with the stately ‘Moscow’ a quick scan of some of the song titles  ‘I Woke Up In the Civil War’, ‘Signals To Radar’,  ‘The Bottom of The Sea’ and the album title for that matter, you may well spot a thematic conceit and you’d be partially right. This debut from London’s Lights Action is about conflict but mostly as metaphor for interpersonal spats, hollow victory and exhausted defeat.
 
Easily able to summon up an epic chorus with ‘Travellin’ Man’ or produce a subtler moment of reflection in ‘I Woke Up In the Civil War’, the band lead you through a bewildering array of lyrical tales.
 
‘Signals To Radar’ is an undoubted single with its soaring expression of love destined forever to miss its mark. Mention must go to singer Patrick Currier’s extraordinary voice which is gargantuan rock one minute, whispered confessional the next and always pitched with a melodic lilt. But this isn’t a one man show, the music which drives these songs is as visceral and tender as any vocal and every song is densely packed.
 
Did I say densely packed? Understatement. Everything but the kitchen sink is in the mix – but it never sounds like overkill - an Antony Hegarty-style vocal from ‘Black Feathers’, R.E.M. melody and insouciance ‘Until The Day I Die’, the irregular percussive stutters of Bloc Party throughout. Each fresh listen throws up a new favourite song and shows a band in complete control.


www.myspace.com/lightsactionband
www.mekongdelta.co.uk

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